The present invention relates to a computer system connected with two computers, and a computer network system connected with three or more computers, or more in particular to a function of distributing software resources to each client from a server in a client/server system. Also, the invention relates to a computer connected with the computer network system for receiving the software resources distributed thereto, and a recording medium for recording a computer program for that purpose.
In a self-maintenance system for computers, a copy of data (application files, data files, etc.) are stored in a backup area as backup data, and in the case where a fault is found in a given data at the time of self-diagnosis, or in the case where the computer is infected by a computer virus, the data involved are rewritten and replaced by the data stored in the backup area thereby to recovery the data immediately.
In recent years, on the other hand, with the improvement in the computer performance, the use of a computer network system such as a client/server system connecting a plurality of computers by a network has extended. In the client/server system, a trouble affecting the whole network system is liable to occur due to an operating error of the user or a simple error in configuration. In such a case, the maintenance operation itself becomes impossible, often resulting in a system down before the trouble is eliminated. This likelihood increases with the number of computers connected to the network. With the increase in the size of the network system, therefore, the resulting economic loss cannot be ignored. The self-maintenance, therefore, is more crucial for a network system such as the client/server system than for a stand-alone computer used in isolation.
Further, a system such as a client/server system using a plurality of computers as clients and servers, the infection by computer viruses has recently posed a serious problem. Specifically, once a computer virus intrudes one of a plurality of the computers making up a client/server system, all the clients and servers are infected through the network, thereby leading to a serious loss. For operating the client/server system smoothly, therefore, an efficient system maintenance is very important.
With the computer network system such as the client/server system described above, in the case where software resources or new application software is installed in a client, for example, the particular data are registered in a server. Also, in the case of version up or bug correction of the application software used currently by a client, the difference data are registered in the server. In any of these cases, the operating environment of individual clients is renewed by distributing the registered data to the clients from the server.
The process of distributing the software resources in the client/server system making up a computer network system is conventionally carried out as a collective process in downloading from the server to each client and setting the downloaded software resources as the ones available for use by each client. In the meantime, no client can be operable before the completion of the process (downloading and the application processing of the update data) for distributing the software resources to all the clients connected to the network.
Also, the operating system (OS) and the application software of the individual computers have recently increased in size and have become complicated. With the increase in the size of the operating system and the application software and the increase in the number of clients connected to the network as described above, the distribution of the software resources has come to consume a considerable length of time. Thus, the distribution of software resources from the server to the clients requires an ever-increasing length of time, which tends to increase the time during which the clients cannot be used.
The present invention has been developed in view of the situation described above and the object thereof is to provide a computer system network in which the process for distributing software resources from a server to clients is dispersed to adjust the download time and the data amount for each distribution process thereby reducing the load of the whole network at the time of distributing software resources. Another object of the invention is to provide a computer connected to the computer network system for receiving the software resources distributed thereto, and a recording medium with a computer program being recorded for realizing such a process with a general-purpose computer.
According to the present invention, there is provided a computer network system such as a client/server system, in which in short, update data are divided and downloaded from a first computer (server unit, for example) to a second computer (client unit).
A computer system according to the invention comprises a first computer including a data storage unit for storing data to be used by other computers, is connected with a second computer including an operating data storage unit for storing data used for the operation of the second computer, the second computer receiving the transferred data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer and storing it in the operating data storage unit of the second computer thereby to use the particular data, wherein the first computer includes a transfer condition storage unit for storing the conditions for transferring the data stored in the data storage unit to the operating data storage unit of the second computer, and the second computer includes a determination unit for determining the possibility of dividing and transferring the data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer in accordance with the contents stored in the transfer condition storage unit of the first computer, a transfer processing unit for dividing and transferring the data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer in the case where the determination unit determines that the divide transfer is possible, and a data storage unit for sequentially accumulating and storing the data which the transfer processing unit causes the first computer to divide and transfer from the data storage unit of the first computer, the data stored in the data storage unit being adapted to be stored in the operating data storage unit.
More specifically, the computer system according to the invention wherein a first computer including a storage unit for storing data to be used by other computers, is connected with a second computer including a storage unit for storing data used for the operation of the second computer, the second computer receiving the transferred data stored in the storage unit of the first computer and storing it in the storage unit of the second computer thereby to use the same data, wherein the first computer stores the conditions for data transfer to the storage unit, of the second computer in the own storage unit, and the second computer includes a control unit connected to the storage unit of the second computer and capable of performing the operation of determining whether the divide transfer of the data stored in the storage unit of the first computer is possible or not according to the transfer conditions stored in the storage unit of the first computer, the operation of causing the first computer to divide and transfer the data stored in the storage unit of the first computer in the case where it is determined that the divide transfer is possible, and the operation of sequentially accumulating and storing the data divided and transferred from the storage unit of the first computer in the storage unit of the second computer.
As described above, in a computer system according to the present invention, the data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer is divided and transferred to, at appropriate timing, and accumulated in the data storage unit of the second computer, and at the time point when all the data are transferred and stored as one data, the data are stored in the operating data storage unit and becomes available for use.
As a result, as compared with the conventional system in which the update data are collectively distributed and the second computer is not operable before the update data are completely distributed, the update data are divided and transferred in the intervals during the operation in the computer network system according to the invention.
Also, in the computer system according to the invention having the configuration described above, the conditions for transfer include at least one of the possibility of divide transfer, the presence or absence of the designation of preferential transfer, the presence or absence of the designation of the date of transfer completion, the presence or absence of the limitation of the number of times to divide the data, the presence or absence of the limitation of the amount of the data transferred at a time, related to the data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer and the presence or absence of the limitation due to the load of the second computer.
In the computer system according to the invention described above, the possibility of the divide transfer of the data to the second computer is determined according to the transfer conditions, and therefore it is possible to determine whether the data are divided and transferred in accordance with the operating conditions of the computer and, if divided and transferred, to set various conditions.
A computer network system according to the invention wherein at least one first computer including a data storage unit for storing data to be used by other computers, and a plurality of second computers each including an operating data storage unit for storing data used for the operation of the second computer, the second computer receiving the transferred data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer and storing it in the operating data storage unit of the second computer thereby to use the particular data, are connected by a network, wherein the first computer includes a transfer condition storage unit for storing the conditions for transferring the data stored in the data storage unit to the operating data storage unit of the second computers, and the second computers each include a determination unit for determining the possibility of dividing and transferring the data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer in accordance with the contents stored in the transfer condition storage unit of the first computer, a transfer processing unit for dividing and transferring the data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer in the case where the determination unit determines that the divide transfer is possible, and a data storage unit for sequentially accumulating and storing the data which the transfer processing unit causes the first computer to divide and transfer from the data storage unit of the first computer, the data stored in the data storage unit being adapted to be stored in the operating data storage unit.
More specifically, the computer network system according to the invention wherein at least one first computer including a storage unit for storing the data to be used by other computers, and a plurality of second computers each including a storage unit for storing the data used for the operation of the second computer, the second computer receiving the transferred data stored in the storage unit of the first computer and storing it in the own storage unit thereby to use the particular data, are connected by a network, wherein the first computer stores the conditions for data transfer to the storage unit of the second computer in the own storage unit, and the second computers each include a control unit connected to the storage unit of the second computer and capable of performing the operation of determining whether the divide transfer of the data stored in the storage unit of the first computer is possible or not according to the transfer conditions stored in the storage unit of the first computer, the operation of dividing and transferring the data stored in the storage unit of the first computer in the case where it is determined that the divide transfer is possible, and the operation of sequentially accumulating and storing the data divided and transferred from the storage unit of the first computer in the storage unit of the second computer.
As described above, in a computer network system according to the present invention, the data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer is divided and transferred to, at appropriate timing and accumulated in the data storage unit of each of the second computers, and at the time point when all the data are transferred to and stored in each of the second computers as one complete data, the data are stored in the operating data storage unit and becomes available for use.
Also, in the computer network system according to the invention having the configuration described above, the conditions for transfer include at least one of the possibility of divide transfer, the presence or absence of the designation of preferential transfer, the presence or absence of the designation of the date of transfer completion, the presence or absence of the limitation of the number of times to divide the data, the presence or absence of the limitation of the amount of the data transferred at a time, related to the data stored in the data storage unit of the first computer, and the presence or absence of the limitation due to the load of the second computer.
In the computer network system according to the invention described above, the possibility of the divide transfer of the data to the second computers is determined according to the transfer conditions, and therefore it is possible to determine whether the data are divided and transferred in accordance with the operating conditions of each of the second computers and, if divided and transferred, to set various conditions for each of the second computers.
A computer according to the invention comprises an operating data storage unit for storing data to be used for the own operation, the computer receiving the transferred data to be used by the computer from other computers and storing it in the operating data storage unit thereof thereby to use the particular data, the computer further comprising a determination unit for determining the possibility of dividing and transferring the data from other computers in accordance with predetermined conditions, a transfer processing unit for dividing and transferring the data from other computers in the case where the determination unit determines that the divide transfer is possible, and a data storage unit for sequentially accumulating the data which the transfer processing unit causes other computers to divide and transfer, the data stored in the data storage unit being adapted to be stored in the operating data storage unit.
More specifically, the computer according to the invention comprises a storage unit for storing the data to be used for the own operation, receives the transferred data to be used by itself from other computers and uses the particular data, the computer further comprising a control unit connected to the storage unit and capable of performing the operation of determining whether the divide transfer of the data from other computers is possible or not according to predetermined conditions, the operation of dividing and transferring the data from other computers in the case where it is determined that the divide transfer is possible, the operation of sequentially accumulating and storing the data divided and transferred from other computers in the storage unit, and the operation of rendering the stored data available for use for the own operation.
As described above, in a computer according to the present invention, the data from other computers is divided and transferred to, at appropriate timing, and accumulated in the data storage unit, and at the time point when all the data are transferred and stored as one complete data, the data are stored in the operating data storage unit and becomes available for use.
Also, in the computer according to the invention having the configuration described above, the predetermined conditions include at least one of the possibility of divide transfer, the presence or absence of the designation of preferential transfer, the presence or absence of the designation of the date of transfer completion, the presence or absence of the limitation of the number of times to divide the data the presence or absence of the limitation of the amount of the data transferred at a time, related to the data to be transferred from other computers, and the presence or absence of the limitation due to the own load.
In the computer according to the invention described above, the possibility of the divide transfer of the data is determined according to the transfer conditions, and therefore it is possible to determine whether the data are divided and transferred in accordance with the operating conditions of the computer and, if divided and transferred, to set various conditions.
According to the invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a computer program which causes a computer having an operating data storage unit for storing data to be used for the operation of the particular computer to receive the transferred data to be used by the computer from other computers and to store the data in the operating data storage unit, wherein the computer program includes program code means for causing the computer to determine according to predetermined conditions whether the divide transfer of the data from other computers is possible, program code means for causing the computer to split and transfer the data from other computers in the case where it is determined that the data can be divided and transferred, program code means for causing the computer to sequentially accumulate and store the data divided and transferred from other computers, and program code means for causing the computer to store the stored data in the operating data storage unit.
In this way, a computer is realized in which each program code means stored in the recording medium according to the invention is read by the computer, so that the data from other computers is divided and transferred to, at appropriate timing, and accumulated in the data storage unit, and at the time point when all the data are completely transferred and stored as one complete data, the data are stored in the operating data storage unit and becomes available for use.
Also, the recording medium according to the invention having the configuration described above further comprises program code means for causing the computer to read at least one of the predetermined conditions including the possibility of divide transfer, the presence or absence of the designation of preferential transfer, the presence or absence of the designation of the due date of transfer completion, the presence or absence of the limitation of the number of times to divide the data, the presence or absence of the limitation of the amount of the data transferred at a time, related to the data to be transferred from other computers, and the presence or absence of the limitation due to the own load.
In this way, a computer is realized, which is caused to read the program code means stored in the recording medium according to this invention and determine whether the data can be divided and transferred in accordance with the read conditions.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.